Feb 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans offensive lineman Matt Kalil does a footwork drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The first option that the Minnesota Vikings have surrounding their 3rd overall pick is trading it away for picks later in the 2012 NFL Draft. In my opinion, I feel as if trading away the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft would be a very ill-advised move for the franchise to make. I say this because of the prospects available for the Minnesota Vikings to draft. The big three prospects on the draft board when the 3rd overall pick rolls around will be Justin Blackmon (WR), Morris Claiborne (CB), and Matt Kalil (OT). No matter which of these players you choose, their is no other prospect in the draft quite like them (except for Justin Blackmon compared to Michael Floyd). The only trade I would accept if I was the Minnesota Vikings would be if the Cleveland Browns wanted to trade up in the draft from 4th overall to 3rd overall, but the odds on the trade are very slim.

The next three options for the Minnesota Vikings all involve who they should draft with the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Should they draft Justin Blackmon, Morri Claiborne, or Matt Kalil? All of these prospects fill a gap in which the Minnesota Vikings need filled. The Minnesota Vikings are in need of a wide receiver, cornerback, or offensive tackle. In my opinion, there is only one correct choice for the Minnesota Vikings to draft with the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The choice would be drafting Matt Kalil out of the University of Southern California (USC). When talking about Matt Kalil, ESPN draft analysis Todd McShay has said,

“I just think he’s a plug-and-play left tackle who can start immediately and can start at a high level and become a perennial Pro Bowl-type player.”

I completely agree with Todd McShay. I feel as if the bigger needs for the Minnesota Vikings are wide receiver and offensive tackle. It comes down to, if the Minnesota Vikings want a weapon for Christian Ponder to throw to or to make sure that Christian Ponder has enough time to make a throw. In the end, I believe that the best option for the Minnesota Vikings would be to draft Matt Kalil with the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

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Since then, the Bears and Packers have both suffered more embarrassing losses and fallen further behind.  As we roll into Week 10, the NFC North race is on the verge of becoming a rout.

The Vikings can take another step toward putting away a second straight division crown with a victory today over the Lions.  In the teams’ first meeting, back in Week 2, Detroit took an early 10-0 lead, only to watch the Vikings score 27 unanswered on their way to an easy 27-13 win.

Since then, the Lions have managed to win but a single game – still one more than they won all last season – while the Vikings have asserted themselves as one of the powers of the NFL.

Detroit will face a different Minnesota team than the one they saw in Ford Field 8 weeks ago.  That Vikings squad was still feeling its way with Brett Favre as quarterback.  Now, The Favre has settled in to the offense, and developed a rapport with his receivers.  The inconsistent attack of the early season has been replaced by a prolific one.

This spells trouble for a Detroit defense that has surrendered nearly 30 points/game, and languishes near the bottom of all the statistical rankings.

Of course, conventional wisdom says that the Lions always play the Vikings tough, even in the Metrodome.  If ever there was a time to throw out conventional wisdom, however, this would be it.

Everything – and I mean everything – sets up for the Vikings to rout the Lions.  Minnesota is coming off a bye week rested and rejuvenated.  Brett Favre, despite myriad little nagging physical complaints, looks like he’s at the top of his game; and remember that Favre has thrown more TD passes against the Lions than any other team.

Defensively, the Vikes will once again be without star cornerback Antoine Winfield, but that might not matter against the Lions’ rookie QB Matthew Stafford, who threw five picks in his last game, and today will have to contend with a ferocious – and well-rested – Vikings pass rush (that, thanks to the development of Ray Edwards, now comes from more than just Jared Allen‘s direction).

And then there’s Adrian Peterson.

It was a slightly frustrating first half for AD, who broke 100 yards only twice, and had but a single truly dominant performance, all the way back in Week 1 against the Browns.  In the first game vs. the Lions, Peterson ran for 92 yards on just 15 carries, and scored a 27 yard TD in the middle of the 3rd to give the Vikings the lead.

Still, despite the “disappointment” of the first half, Peterson’s per-carry average remains exactly where it was at the end of 2008 – 4.8 yards/run – and he is 3rd in the league in touchdowns with 9.  This week, a sure-to-be-frisky AD faces a Lions defense that will be without starting linebacker Ernie Sims, may be missing a second starting linebacker in Larry Foote, and has been banged up on the line all season.

As if the Lions didn’t have enough bad news, this week Darrell Bevell said Steve Hutchinson is feeling better after being nagged by a bad back since preseason.   A fully functioning Hutch should mean slightly bigger holes for Peterson, who hasn’t always had the benefit of a dominating offensive line in ’09.

Predictions are not my bag, but I’m willing to throw one out there this week and say that Adrian will top 150 and score at least 2 touchdowns.  Like I said before, forget about that “the Lions always play the Vikings tough” refrain.  It doesn’t matter this week.

This week, the Vikings are one of the best in the NFL and the Lions are one of the worst, and it will show on the field.  At minimum, we can expect a three touchdown runaway for the Vikings.  And if the Lions turn the ball over a couple of times, the Vikes could creep over the 4o point mark for the first time this season.

Is there any feeling more wonderful than mid-season cockiness?

But it is no ordinary nectar they seek to partake of this Sunday afternoon in Green Bay.  It is, instead, the sweetest of all delights:  victory over the Packers.

To be slightly less flowery about it:  beating the shit out of the Packers always feels better than beating the shit out of anyone else.

And not just because they’re the #1 rival.  There are practical reasons, too, why a victory today would ring louder than most.

First and foremost, a win over the Packers gives you a season sweep and, therefore, a massive tiebreaker advantage against a divisional opponent.  You can have a crappy second half and still know, if you somehow end up tied with the Pack, you own them.

Victory today would also make the Vikings 5-0 against the NFC.  Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but, conference record is everything when it comes to playoff seeding.

Also, being 7-1 going into the bye would just be damn cool.

Of course, there are a few things standing between us and that seventh victory, and they are all named “the Green Bay Packers.”

I don’t need to remind you that, after kicking the Packers in the teeth for most of their first meeting, the Vikings sort of wilted late, and nearly let Green Bay back in.  If nothing else, that game proved that the Packers have plenty of fight in them.  If you get them down early you better finish them off.

I also don’t need to remind you – do I? – that Aaron Rodgers was the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month for October.  He is currently second only to Peyton Manning in passer rating in the NFL, is completing nearly 66% of his passes and has only 2 picks against 11 touchdowns despite enjoying arguably the worst pass protection in the history of the cosmos.

In the first Vikes/Packers showdown, you will recall, Rodgers threw for 384 yards and two scores while completing over 70%.  And that was with Antoine Winfield shutting down Greg Jennings.  Today, we will have someone other than Antoine covering Greg Jennings.

The lack of Winfield didn’t matter last week against the Steelers, but I guarantee you, the Packers will go after whoever is playing left corner, be it Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp or Asher Allen.

Assuming Aaron Rodgers can stay upright long enough to complete the passes.

Yes, pass protection is still a problem for Green Bay.  They gave up 5 sacks two weeks ago against a Lions team that was missing three of four starting defensive linemen.  True, they gave up no sacks against the Browns, but that was the Browns.

The Packers are fortunate in that, this week, Chad Clifton will play instead of whoever that was they had trying to block Jared Allen last time.  Clifton, we remember, completely shut down the Vikings’ main pass rusher in the teams’ early-season meeting in Lambeau in 2008, prompting Allen to declare himself a total suckball.

I expect the Packers’ pass blocking to be better today than it was last time, but I still think the Vikings will get their shots at Rodgers.  If they don’t, Rodgers could have a good day.

Speaking of pass rush:  the Packers got none on Brett Favre during the big Monday night meeting, the result being a 3 TD, 135.3 passer rating performance for Brett.  I’m assuming the Packers will make a more concerted effort to put pressure on the passer today.  Of course, the Packers know better than anyone else the sort of carnage that can ensue when you blitz Favre and don’t get him down.

Actually, I’m not that worried about Brett.  Yes it’s possible he could get carried away by the moment and have one of those awful Favre performances, but I think he will be fine in spite of the emotionally-charged atmosphere.  The guy I’m looking squarely at is Adrian Peterson, who I’m sure wants redemption after a 25 carry/55 yard/1 fumble-for-touchdown effort in game 1.

Sometimes, when Adrian gets angry, he runs people over (just ask William Gay).  But sometimes when he gets angry he starts coughing it up.

My hope is that Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell will try to use AD like they did last week, mixing in some throws out of the backfield.  Despite his reputation as a powerful, hard-running back, Peterson is really at his best when he’s got room to work.

The other big issue for the Vikings is the health of the receiver corps.  Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin are both expected to play after battling physical problems all week, Berrian a pulled hammy and Harvin an illness of undisclosed nature.  These are two explosive players who have a bad habit of not finishing games.

Of course, The Favre’s #1 weapon these days is Sidney Rice.  At last, the Vikings have found a receiver the other team must at least consider slapping a double-team on.

The Packers have a lot to deal with defensively.  They didn’t do a great job overall during the first meeting, but it is a tough defense, one that has allowed just 3 points the last two weeks, and is high up in the rankings against the pass.

Weather will not aid the Packers in their efforts this week at least.  It’s expected to be around 50 in Green Bay with no precipitation and a light wind.

And then of course there’s the little matter of fan reaction to Favre.  I expect boos.  Lots of boos. But I don’t expect the boos to affect Favre adversely; in fact, knowing this guy, they may only fuel him.  He was on top of his game in the first meeting at the Dome, largely because it was the Packers and he wanted to show them he could still get it done.

Now, Favre will want to show his old fans he can still get it done.  If emotion once again guides Brett to a great performance, the Vikings will win.  But it will not be easy.  The Packers are a worthy opponent with a quarterback who can also get it done.

It’s rare that a Packer/Viking game doesn’t turn into a nerve-wracking experience.  I expect this one will also have us biting our nails to the quick.

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